Hybrid loop unrolled decision feedback equalizer architecture

ABSTRACT

A keeper device is used in a hybrid loop unrolled DFE circuit to selectively output signals from equalizers corresponding to a specific possibility of the values of the previous bit (e.g., logical high or logical low) when DFE technique is not used. Those equalizers corresponding to possibilities other than the specific possibility of the values of the previous bit are disabled in the hybrid loop unrolled DFE circuit. As such, the hybrid loop unrolled DFE circuit saves power when the DFE technique is not used since only a portion of the total equalizers in the hybrid loop unrolled DFE circuit are powered.

BACKGROUND Field of the Invention

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to the field of semiconductor memory devices. More specifically, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a hybrid loop unrolled decision feedback equalizer (DFE) architecture of a semiconductor memory device, which provides loop unrolling when a DFE technique is used but reverts to a traditional receiver architecture when the DFE technique is not used for the purpose of power saving.

Description of the Related Art

The operational rate of memory devices, including the data rate of a memory device, has been increasing over time. As a side effect of the increase in speed of a memory device, data errors due to distortion may increase. For example, inter-symbol interference between transmitted data whereby previously received data influences the currently received data may occur (e.g., previously received data affects and interferes with subsequently received data). One manner to correct for this interference is through the use of a decision feedback equalizer (DFE) circuit, which may be programmed to offset (i.e., undo, mitigate, or offset) the effect of the channel on the transmitted data.

Additionally, correcting distortions in the transmitted signals continues to be important. However, conventional distortion correction techniques may not adequately correct the distortions of the signal. Errors that result from slow processes of conventional distortion correction techniques cause additional distortions to the final data, thus reducing the reliability of data transmitted within the memory devices. One manner to correct for this slow process is through the use of a loop unrolled decision feedback equalizer (DFE) circuit, which means possible decisions for a single previous data bit are processed in parallel with respective latches. However, loop unrolling may result in more power consumption due to more latches being used for processing a single data bit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various aspects of this disclosure may better be understood upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a simplified block diagram illustrating certain features of a memory device, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram illustrating a data transceiver of the I/O interface of FIG. 1 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 illustrates a block diagram of an embodiment of the data transceiver of FIG. 2 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 illustrates a block diagram of a second embodiment of the data transceiver of FIG. 2 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 illustrates a block diagram of a distortion correction circuit, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 illustrates a circuit diagram of a portion of the decision feedback equalizer (DFE) of FIG. 5 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 illustrates a second embodiment of a distortion correction circuit, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 8 illustrates a circuit diagram of a portion of the DFE of FIG. 7 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 9 illustrates a third embodiment of a distortion correction circuit, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 10 illustrates a fourth embodiment of a distortion correction circuit, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 11 illustrates a circuit diagram of a portion of the DFE of FIG. 10 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 12 illustrates a fifth embodiment of a distortion correction circuit, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 13 illustrates a sixth embodiment of a distortion correction circuit, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 14 illustrates a flow diagram of a method for correction distortion, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 15 illustrates a seventh embodiment of a distortion correction circuit, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 16 illustrates an embodiment of a distortion correction circuit connected to a keeper device, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 17 illustrates a second embodiment of a distortion correction circuit connected to keeper devices, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 18 illustrates a flow diagram of a method for implementing a keeper device, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

One or more specific embodiments will be described below. In an effort to provide a concise description of these embodiments, not all features of an actual implementation are described in the specification. It should be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers' specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which may vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it should be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure.

Using a decision feedback equalizer (DEE) of a memory device to perform distortion correction techniques may be valuable, for example, to correctly compensate for distortions in the received data of the memory device. This insures that accurate values are being stored in the memory of the memory device. The DFE may use previous bit data to create corrective values to compensate for distortion resulted from the previous bit data. For example, the most recent previous bit may have more of a distortion effect on the current bit than a bit transmitted several data points before, causing the corrective values to be different between the two bits. With these levels to correct for, the DFE may operate to correct the distortion of the transmitted bit.

In some embodiments, the DFE may utilize multiple bits of previous data in order to precisely calculate the distortion correction factor. In further embodiments, when multiple bits are received and processed, a DFE may not receive a corrective voltage for a distorted bit from the most recent bit, as there may be an added time delay of correcting a distorted bit while waiting for the corrective voltage from the most recent bit. Loop unrolling techniques and associated hardware reduce the delay in correcting distorted bits due to delays in receiving previous bits by applying a correction to the distorted bit from an assumed value of the previous bit (e.g., assumed logic high or logic low), and passing this bit to a selection circuit. Once the previous bit is known, a selection of the correct distorted bit is made from the distorted bit corrected based on the assumption. Loop unrolling techniques and associated hardware may allow for multiple bits to be received and processed nearly simultaneously, leading to a very efficient system that may process distortions of received bits more quickly than may be accomplished via traditional DFE solutions. However, loop unrolling techniques may consume more power, as there may be an added process for assumed values of the previous bits.

In some embodiments, the DFE technique in a loop unrolled DFE circuit may not be used, and this technique and associated hardware reduces the power consumption by reverting the loop unrolled DFE circuit to a traditional receiver circuit without implementing the DFE technique for power reduction.

Decision Feedback Equalizer Architecture

Turning now to the figures, FIG. 1 is a simplified block diagram illustrating certain features of a memory device 10. Specifically, the block diagram of FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram illustrating certain functionality of the memory device 10. In accordance with one embodiment, the memory device 10 may be a double data rate type five synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDRS SDRAM) device. Various features of DDRS SDRAM allow for reduced power consumption, more bandwidth and more storage capacity compared to prior generations of DDR SDRAM.

The memory device 10, may include a number of memory banks 12. The memory banks 12 may be DDRS SDRAM memory banks, for instance. The memory banks 12 may be provided on one or more chips (e.g., SDRAM chips) that are arranged on dual inline memory modules (DIMMS). Each DIMM may include a number of SDRAM memory chips (e.g., x8 or x16 memory chips), as will be appreciated. Each SDRAM memory chip may include one or more memory banks 12. The memory device 10 represents a portion of a single memory chip (e.g., SDRAM chip) having a number of memory banks 12. For DDRS, the memory banks 12 may be further arranged to form bank groups. For instance, for an 8 gigabit (Gb) DDRS SDRAM, the memory chip may include 16 memory banks 12, arranged into 8 bank groups, each bank group including 2 memory banks. For a 16 GB DDRS SDRAM, the memory chip may include 32 memory banks 12, arranged into 8 bank groups, each bank group including 4 memory banks, for instance. Various other configurations, organization and sizes of the memory banks 12 on the memory device 10 may be utilized depending on the application and design of the overall system.

The memory device 10 may include a command interface 14 and an input/output (I/O) interface 16 configured to exchange (e.g., receive and transmit) signals with external devices. The command interface 14 is configured to provide a number of signals (e.g., signals 15) from an external device (not shown), such as a processor or controller. The processor or controller may provide various signals 15 to the memory device 10 to facilitate the transmission and receipt of data to be written to or read from the memory device 10.

As will be appreciated, the command interface 14 may include a number of circuits, such as a clock input circuit 18 and a command address input circuit 20, for instance, to ensure proper handling of the signals 15. The command interface 14 may receive one or more clock signals from an external device. Generally, double data rate (DDR) memory utilizes a differential pair of system clock signals, referred to herein as the true clock signal (Clk_t) and the complementary clock signal (Clk_c). The positive clock edge for DDR refers to the point where the rising true clock signal Clk_t crosses the falling complementary clock signal Clk_c, while the negative clock edge indicates that transition of the falling true clock signal Clk_t and the rising of the complementary clock signal Clk_c. Commands (e.g., read command, write command, etc.) are typically entered on the positive edges of the clock signal and data is transmitted or received on both the positive and negative clock edges.

The clock input circuit 18 receives the true clock signal (Clk_t) and the complementary clock signal (Clk_c) and generates an internal clock signal CLK. The internal clock signal CLK is supplied to an internal clock generator 30, such as a delay locked loop (DLL) circuit. The internal clock generator 30 generates a phase controlled internal clock signal LCLK based on the received internal clock signal CLK. The phase controlled internal clock signal LCLK is supplied to the I/O interface 16, for instance, and is used as a timing signal for determining an output timing of read data.

The internal clock signal CLK may also be provided to various other components within the memory device 10 and may be used to generate various additional internal clock signals. For instance, the internal clock signal CLK may be provided to a command decoder 32. The command decoder 32 may receive command signals from the command bus 34 and may decode the command signals to provide various internal commands. For instance, the command decoder 32 may provide command signals to the internal clock generator 30 over the bus 36 to coordinate generation of the phase controlled internal clock signal LCLK. The phase controlled internal clock signal LCLK may be used to clock data through the I/O interface 16, for instance.

Further, the command decoder 32 may decode commands, such as read commands, write commands, mode-register set commands, activate commands, etc., and provide access to a particular memory bank 12 corresponding to the command, via the bus path 40. As will be appreciated, the memory device 10 may include various other decoders, such as row decoders and column decoders, to facilitate access to the memory banks 12. In one embodiment, each memory bank 12 includes a bank control block 22 which provides the necessary decoding (e.g., row decoder and column decoder), as well as other features, such as timing control and data control, to facilitate the execution of commands to and from the memory banks 12. Collectively, the memory banks 12 and the bank control blocks 22 may be referred to as a memory array 23.

The memory device 10 executes operations, such as read commands and write commands, based on the command/address signals received from an external device, such as a processor. In one embodiment, the command/address bus may be a 14-bit bus to accommodate the command/address signals (CA<13:0>). The command/address signals are clocked to the command interface 14 using the clock signals (Clk_t and Clk_c). The command interface may include a command address input circuit 20 which is configured to receive and transmit the commands to provide access to the memory banks 12, through the command decoder 32, for instance. In addition, the command interface 14 may receive a chip select signal (CS_n). The CS_n signal enables the memory device 10 to process commands on the incoming CA<13:0> bus. Access to specific banks 12 within the memory device 10 is encoded on the CA<13:0> bus with the commands.

In addition, the command interface 14 may be configured to receive a number of other command signals. For instance, a command/address on die termination (CA_ODT) signal may be provided to facilitate proper impedance matching within the memory device 10. A reset command (RESET_n) may be used to reset the command interface 14, status registers, state machines and the like, during power-up for instance. The command interface 14 may also receive a command/address invert (CAI) signal which may be provided to invert the state of command/address signals CA<13:0> on the command/address bus, for instance, depending on the command/address routing for the particular memory device 10. A mirror (MIR) signal may also be provided to facilitate a mirror function. The MIR signal may be used to multiplex signals so that they can be swapped for enabling certain routing of signals to the memory device 10, based on the configuration of multiple memory devices in a particular application. Various signals to facilitate testing of the memory device 10, such as the test enable (TEN) signal, may be provided, as well. For instance, the TEN signal may be used to place the memory device 10 into a test mode for connectivity testing.

The command interface 14 may also be used to provide an alert signal (ALERT_n) to the system processor or controller for certain errors that may be detected. For instance, an alert signal (ALERT_n) may be transmitted from the memory device 10 if a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) error is detected. Other alert signals may also be generated. Further, the bus and pin for transmitting the alert signal (ALERT_n) from the memory device 10 may be used as an input pin during certain operations, such as the connectivity test mode executed using the TEN signal, as described above.

Data may be sent to and from the memory device 10, utilizing the command and clocking signals discussed above, by transmitting and receiving data signals 44 through the I/O interface 16. More specifically, the data may be sent to or retrieved from the memory banks 12 over the data bus 46, which includes a plurality of bi-directional data buses. Data I/O signals, generally referred to as DQ signals, are generally transmitted and received in one or more bi-directional data busses. For certain memory devices, such as a DDRS SDRAM memory device, the I/O signals may be divided into upper and lower bytes. For instance, for an x16 memory device, the I/O signals may be divided into upper and lower I/O signals (e.g., DQ<15:8> and DQ<7:0>) corresponding to upper and lower bytes of the data signals, for instance.

To allow for higher data rates within the memory device 10, certain memory devices, such as DDR memory devices may utilize data strobe signals, generally referred to as DQS signals. The DQS signals are driven by the external processor or controller sending the data (e.g., for a write command) or by the memory device 10 (e.g., for a read command). For read commands, the DQS signals are effectively additional data output (DQ) signals with a predetermined pattern. For write commands, the DQS signals are used as clock signals to capture the corresponding input data. As with the clock signals (Clk_t and Clk_c), the data strobe (DQS) signals may be provided as a differential pair of data strobe signals (DQS t and DQS_c) to provide differential pair signaling during reads and writes. For certain memory devices, such as a DDRS SDRAM memory device, the differential pairs of DQS signals may be divided into upper and lower data strobe signals (e.g., UDQS_t and UDQS_c; LDQS_t and LDQS_c) corresponding to upper and lower bytes of data sent to and from the memory device 10, for instance.

An impedance (ZQ) calibration signal may also be provided to the memory device 10 through the I/O interface 16. The ZQ calibration signal may be provided to a reference pin and used to tune output drivers and ODT values by adjusting pull-up and pull-down resistors of the memory device 10 across changes in process, voltage and temperature (PVT) values. Because PVT characteristics may impact the ZQ resistor values, the ZQ calibration signal may be provided to the ZQ reference pin to be used to adjust the resistance to calibrate the input impedance to known values. As will be appreciated, a precision resistor is generally coupled between the ZQ pin on the memory device 10 and GND/VSS external to the memory device 10. This resistor acts as a reference for adjusting internal ODT and drive strength of the IO pins.

In addition, a loopback signal (LOOPBACK) may be provided to the memory device 10 through the I/O interface 16. The loopback signal may be used during a test or debugging phase to set the memory device 10 into a mode wherein signals are looped back through the memory device 10 through the same pin. For instance, the loopback signal may be used to set the memory device 10 to test the data output of the memory device 10. Loopback may include both a data and a strobe or possibly just a data pin. This is generally intended to be used to monitor the data captured by the memory device 10 at the I/O interface 16.

As will be appreciated, various other components such as power supply circuits (for receiving external VDD and VSS signals), mode registers (to define various modes of programmable operations and configurations), read/write amplifiers (to amplify signals during read/write operations), temperature sensors (for sensing temperatures of the memory device 10), etc., may also be incorporated into the memory system 10. Accordingly, it should be understood that the block diagram of FIG. 1 is only provided to highlight certain functional features of the memory device 10 to aid in the subsequent detailed description.

In some embodiments, the memory device 10 may be disposed in (physically integrated into or otherwise connected to) a host device or otherwise coupled to a host device. The host device may include any one of a desktop computer, laptop computer, pager, cellular phone, personal organizer, portable audio player, control circuit, camera, etc. The host device may also be a network node, such as a router, a server, or a client (e.g., one of the previously-described types of computers). The host device may be some other sort of electronic device, such as a copier, a scanner, a printer, a game console, a television, a set-top video distribution or recording system, a cable box, a personal digital media player, a factory automation system, an automotive computer system, or a medical device. (The terms used to describe these various examples of systems, like many of the other terms used herein, may share some referents and, as such, should not be construed narrowly in virtue of the other items listed.)

The host device may, thus, be a processor-based device, which may include a processor, such as a microprocessor, that controls the processing of system functions and requests in the host. Further, any host processor may comprise a plurality of processors that share system control. The host processor may be coupled directly or indirectly to additional system elements of the host, such that the host processor controls the operation of the host by executing instructions that may be stored within the host or external to the host.

As discussed above, data may be written to and read from the memory device 10, for example, by the host whereby the memory device 10 operates as volatile memory, such as Double Data Rate DRAM (e.g., DDRS SDRAM). The host may, in some embodiments, also include separate non-volatile memory, such as read-only memory (ROM), PC-RAM, silicon-oxide-nitride-oxide-silicon (SONOS) memory, metal-oxide-nitride-oxide-silicon (MONOS) memory, polysilicon floating gate based memory, and/or other types of flash memory of various architectures (e.g., NAND memory, NOR memory, etc.) as well as other types of memory devices (e.g., storage), such as solid state drives (SSD's), MultimediaMediaCards (MMC's), SecureDigital (SD) cards, CompactFlash (CF) cards, or any other suitable device. Further, it should be appreciated that the host may include one or more external interfaces, such as Universal Serial Bus (USB), Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI), PCI Express (PCI-E), Small Computer System Interface (SCSI), IEEE 1394 (Firewire), or any other suitable interface as well as one or more input devices to allow a user to input data into the host, for example, buttons, switching elements, a keyboard, a light pen, a stylus, a mouse, and/or a voice recognition system, for instance. The host may optionally also include an output device, such as a display coupled to the processor and a network interface device, such as a Network Interface Card (NIC), for interfacing with a network, such as the Internet. As will be appreciated, the host may include many other components, depending on the application of the host.

The host may operate to transfer data to the memory device 10 for storage and may read data from the memory device 10 to perform various operations at the host. Accordingly, to facilitate these data transmissions, in some embodiments, the I/O interface 16 may include a data transceiver 48 that operates to receive and transmit DQ signals to and from the I/O interface 16.

FIG. 2 illustrates the I/O interface 16 of the memory device 10 generally and, more specifically, the data transceiver 48. As illustrated, the data transceiver 48 of the I/O interface 16 may include a DQ connector 50, a DQ transceiver 52, and a serializer/deserializer 54. It should be noted that in some embodiments, multiple data transceivers 48 may be utilized that each single data transceiver 48 may be utilized in connection with a respective one of each of upper and lower I/O signals (e.g., DQ<15:8> and DQ<7:0>) corresponding to upper and lower bytes of the data signals, for instance. Thus, the I/O interface 16 may include a plurality of data transceivers 48, each corresponding to one or more I/O signals (e.g., inclusive of a respective DQ connector 50, DQ transceiver 52, and serializer/deserializer 54).

The DQ connector 50 may be, for example a pin, pad, combination thereof, or another type of interface that operates to receive DQ signals, for example, for transmission of data to the memory array 23 as part of a data write operation. Additionally, the DQ connector 50 may operate to transmit DQ signals from the memory device 10, for example, to transmit data from the memory array 23 as part of a data read operation. To facilitate these data reads/writes, a DQ transceiver 52 is present in data transceiver 48. In some embodiments, for example, the DQ transceiver 52 may receive a clock signal generated by the internal clock generator 30 as a timing signal for determining an output timing of a data read operation from the memory array 23. The clock signal transmitted by the internal clock generator 30 may be based upon one or more clocking signals received by the memory device 10 at clock connector 56 (e.g., a pin, pad, the combination thereof, etc.) and routed to the internal clock generator 30 via the clock input circuit 18. Thus, the DQ transceiver 52 may receive a clock signal generated by the internal clock generator 30 as a timing signal for determining an output timing of a data read operation from the memory array 23.

The DQ transceiver 52 of FIG. 2 may also, for example, receive one or more DQS signals to operate in strobe data mode as part of a data write operation. The DQS signals may be received at a DQS connector 60 (e.g., a pin, pad, the combination thereof, etc.) and routed to the DQ transceiver 52 via a DQS transceiver 60 that operates to control a data strobe mode via selective transmission of the DQS signals to the DQ transceiver 52. Thus, the DQ transceiver 52 may receive DQS signals to control a data write operation from the memory array 23.

As noted above, the data transceiver 48 may operate in modes to facilitate the transfers of the data to and from the memory device 10 (e.g., to and from the memory array 23). For example, to allow for higher data rates within the memory device 10, a data strobe mode in which DQS signals are utilized, may occur. The DQS signals may be driven by an external processor or controller sending the data (e.g., for a write command) as received by the DQS connector 58 (e.g., a pin, pad, the combination thereof, etc.). In some embodiments, the DQS signals are used as clock signals to capture the corresponding input data.

In addition, as illustrated in FIG. 2 , the data transceiver 48 also includes a serializer/deserializer 54 that operates to translate serial data bits (e.g., a serial bit stream) into a parallel data bits (e.g., a parallel bit stream) for transmission along data bus 46 during data write operations of the memory device 10. Likewise, the serializer/deserializer 54 operates to translate parallel data bits (e.g., a parallel bit stream) into serial data bits (e.g., a serial bit stream) during read operations of the memory device 10. In this manner, the serializer/deserializer 54 operates to translate data received from, for example, a host device having a serial format into a parallel format suitable for storage in the memory array 23. Likewise, the serializer/deserializer 54 operates to translate data received from, for example, the memory array 23 having a parallel format into a serial format suitable for transmission to a host device.

FIG. 3 illustrates the data transceiver 48 as including the DQ connector 50 coupled to data transfer bus 51, a DQ receiver 62, a DQ transmitter 64 (which in combination with the DQ receiver 62 forms the DQ transceiver 52), a deserializer 66, and a serializer 68 (which in combination with the deserializer 66 forms the serializer/deserializer 54). In operation, the host (e.g., a host processor or other memory device described above) may operate to transmit data in a serial form across data transfer bus 51 to the data transceiver 48 as part of a data write operation to the memory device 10. This data is received at the DQ connector 50 and transmitted to the DQ receiver 62. The DQ receiver 62, for example, may perform one or more operations on the data (e.g., amplification, driving of the data signals, etc.) and/or may operate as a latch for the data until reception of a respective DQS signal that operates to coordinate (e.g., control) the transmission of the data to the deserializer 66. As part of a data write operation, the deserializer 66 may operate to convert (e.g., translate) data from a format (e.g., a serial form) in which it is transmitted along data transfer bus 51 into a format (e.g., a parallel form) used for transmission of the data to the memory array 23 for storage therein.

Likewise, during a read operation (e.g., reading data from the memory array 23 and transmitting the read data to the host via the data transfer bus 51), the serializer 68 may receive data read from the memory array in one format (e.g., a parallel form) used by the memory array and may convert (e.g., translate) the received data into a second format (e.g., a serial form) so that the data may be compatible with one or more of the data transfer bus 51 and/or the host. The converted data may be transmitted from the serializer 68 to the DQ transmitter 64, whereby one or more operations on the data (e.g., de-amplification, driving of the data signals, etc.) may occur. Additionally, the DQ transmitter 64 may operate as a latch for the received data until reception of a respective clock signal, for example, from the internal clock generator 30, that operates to coordinate (e.g., control) the transmission of the data to the DQ connector 50 for transmission along the data transfer bus 51 to one or more components of the host.

In some embodiments, the data received at the DQ connector 50 may be distorted. For example, data received at the DQ connector 50 may be affected by inter-symbol interference (ISI) in which previously received data interferes with subsequently received data. For example, due to increased data volume being transmitted across the data transfer bus 51 to the DQ connector 50, the data received at the DQ connector 50 may be distorted relative to the data transmitted by the host. One technique to mitigate (e.g., offset or cancel) this distortion and to effectively reverse the effects of ISI is to apply an equalization operation to the data. FIG. 4 illustrates an embodiment of the data transceiver 48 inclusive of an equalizer that may be used in this equalization operation.

FIG. 4 illustrates one embodiment of the data transceiver 48 inclusive of an equalizer, in particular, a decision feedback equalizer (DFE) 70. As illustrated, the DFE 70 is a multi-tap (e.g., four-tap) DFE 70. However, less or more than four taps may be utilized in conjunction with the DFE 70. Likewise, the DFE 70 may be disposed separate from or internal to the deserializer 66 or the DQ receiver 62. In operation, a binary output (e.g., from a latch or decision-making slicer) is captured in one or more data latches or data registers. In the present embodiment, these data latches or data registers may be disposed in the deserializer 66 and the values stored therein may be latched or transmitted along paths 72, 74, 76, and 78.

When a data bit is received at the DQ receiver 62, it may be identified as being transmitted from the host as bit “n” and may be received at a time to as distorted bit n (e.g., bit n having been distorted by ISI). The most recent bit received prior to distorted bit n being received at the DQ receiver 62, e.g., received at time of t⁻¹ that immediately precedes time of to, may be identified as n−1 and is illustrated as being transmitted from a data latch or data register along path 72. The second most recent bit received prior to distorted bit n being received at the DQ receiver 62, e.g., received at time of t⁻² that immediately precedes time of t⁻¹, may be identified as n−2 and is illustrated as being transmitted from a data latch or data register along path 74. The third most recent bit received prior to distorted bit n being received at the DQ receiver 62, e.g., received at time of t⁻³ that immediately precedes time of t⁻², may be identified as n−3 and is illustrated as being transmitted from a data latch or data register along path 76. The fourth most recent bit received prior to distorted bit n being received at the DQ receiver 62, e.g., received at time of t⁻³ that immediately precedes time of t⁻², may be identified as n−4 and is illustrated as being transmitted from a data latch or data register along path 78. Bits n−1, n−2, n−3, and n−4 may be considered the group of bits that interfere with received distorted bit n (e.g., bits n−1, n−2, n−3, and n−4 cause ISI to host transmitted bit n) and the DFE 70 may operate to offset the distortion caused by the group of bits n−1, n−2, n−3, and n−4 on host transmitted bit n.

Thus, the values latched or transmitted along paths 72, 74, 76, and 78 may correspond, respectively, to the most recent previous data values (e.g., preceding bits n−1, n−2, n−3, and n−4) transmitted from the DQ receiver 62 to be stored in memory array 23. These previously transmitted bits are fed back along paths 72, 74, 76, and 78 to the DFE 70, which operates to generate weighted taps (e.g., voltages) that may be and added to the received input signal (e.g., data received from the DQ connector 50, such as distorted bit n) by means of a summer (e.g., a summing amplifier). In other embodiments, the weighted taps (e.g., voltages) may be combined with an initial reference value to generate an offset that corresponds to or mitigates the distortion of the received data (e.g., mitigates the distortion of distorted bit n). In some embodiments, taps are weighted to reflect that the most recent previously received data (e.g., bit n−1) may have a stronger influence on the distortion of the received data (e.g., distorted bit n) than bits received at earlier times (e.g., bits n−1. n−2, and n−3). The DFE 70 may operate to generate magnitudes and polarities for taps (e.g., voltages) due to each previous bit to collectively offset the distortion caused by those previously received bits.

For example, for the present embodiment, each of previously received bits n−1, n−2, n−3, and n−4 could have had one of two values (e.g., a binary 0 or 1), which was transmitted to the deserializer 66 for transmission to the memory array 23 and, additionally, latched or saved in a register for subsequent transmission along respective paths 72, 74, 76, and 78. In the illustrated embodiment, this leads to sixteen (e.g., 2⁴) possible binary combinations (e.g., 0000, 0001, 0010, . . . , 1110, or 1111) for the group of bits n−1, n−2, n−3, and n−4. The DFE 70 operates to select and/or generate corresponding tap values for whichever of the aforementioned sixteen combinations are determined to be present (e.g., based on the received values along paths 72, 74, 76, and 78) to be used to adjust either the input value received from the DQ connector 50 (e.g., distorted bit n) or to modify a reference value that is subsequently applied to the input value received from the DQ connector 50 (e.g., distorted bit n) so as to cancel the ISI distortion from the previous bits in the data stream (e.g., the group of bits n−1, n−2, n−3, and n−4).

Use of distortion correction (e.g., a DFE 70) may be beneficial such that data transmitted from the DQ connector 50 is correctly represented in the memory array 23 without distortion. Accordingly, it may be useful to store the previous bit data to use in the distortion correction. As illustrated in the block diagram of FIG. 5 , a distortion correction circuit 80 may be included as part of the DQ receiver 62 but may not be required to be physically located there (e.g., the distortion correction circuit 80 may instead be coupled to the DQ receiver 62). In some embodiments, the distortion correction circuit 80 may be operated to provide previously transmitted bit data to correct a distorted bit 81 (e.g., bit having been distorted by ISI and/or system distortions) transmitted via a channel 84 (e.g., connection, transmission line, and/or conductive material).

The distorted bit 81 may be transmitted to an amplifying device 82 (e.g., variable gain amplifier) from a channel 84. The distorted bit 81 may be transmitted from the amplifying device 82 to the DFE 70, illustrated as having a single weighted tap 86. The distorted bit 81 may be transmitted simultaneously with a DQ reference signal 83 to the DFE 70. The DQ reference signal 83 may represent a threshold value (e.g., a voltage level) for determination if the transmitted bit received by the DQ connection 50 was a logical low (e.g., 0) or a logical high (e.g., 1).

The DFE 70 may be operated to correct the distortion from the distorted bit 81 using the tap weighted with previous bit data (e.g., n−1 bit data). Data (e.g., logical 1 or logical 0) for an n−1 bit may be transmitted through the path 72. The magnitudes and polarities of the single weighted tap 86 may offset the total distortion caused by the n−1 bit via summer circuit 85, which operates as a current summer that applies current to the distorted bit 81 to offset for distortion caused by the n−1 bit. For example, if the received bit at the DQ connection 50 is determined to be below the DQ reference signal 83, the received bit 81 is transmitted to the memory array 23 as a logical low. The magnitude and polarity of the weighted tap 86 may be able to correct the distorted bit 81 and the DQ reference signal 83.

A modified version of the distorted bit 81 and a modified version of the DQ reference signal 83 may be transmitted to a data latch 94. A corrected bit 88 may be generated via the data latch 94 and transmitted from the data latch 94 to the deserializer 66, which may occur on the rising edge of the DQS signal 96. In other embodiments, variations of the clocking scheme may be followed to be inclusive of additional or alternative methods of data transmission. The value for the new n−1 bit may be stored, for example, in the deserializer 66 for transmission along the path 72 when the corrected bit 88 is received in the deserializer 66. The distortion correction circuitry associated with the DFE 70 and the amplifying device 82 may be described in greater detail below.

FIG. 6 illustrates a circuit diagram of a portion of the DFE 70 of FIG. 5 that may negate distortions associated with the distorted bit 81. Data bits may be received at a first input 102 and a second input 104 to the summer circuit 85. The first input 102 and the second input 104 may be communicatively coupled to a device that may be enabled or disabled (e.g., field effect transistors 106 and 108). The distorted bit 81 may be received by the first input 102 and the DQ reference signal 83 may be received by the second input 104. In this manner, two of the field effect transistors 106 and 108 may be controlled by the distorted bit 81 and the DQ reference signal 83.

The weighted tap 86 and its inverse value (e.g., inverse weighted tap 87) may be transmitted to the outputs 110 and 112 to correct the distortion in the distorted bit 81. A logical high for the n−1 bit is transmitted through the path 72. In this case, the n−1 bit may be implemented to generate the weighted tap 86 and the inverse weighted tap 87 as a control signal for two field effect transistors 116 and 118 enabling the contribution of the weighted tap values 86 and 87 to the outputs 110 and 112.

The weighted tap values 86 and 87 may allow for current to be applied to outputs 110 and 112, whereby the current supplied is controlled through a controllable source 120 (e.g., a current source controlled by a digital to analog converter). The outputs 110 and 112 may be modified values of one or more of the DQ reference signal 83 and the distorted bit 81 and may be transmitted to the data latch 94 (e.g., a regenerative latch or slicer that generates a binary output). The corrected bit 88 may be generated via the data latch 94 based on the outputs 110 and 112 and may be transmitted to the deserializer 66 on the rising edge of the DQS signal 96. The n−1 bit information stored for transmission along the path 72 in the deserializer 66 may be updated with the corrected bit 88 for future distortion corrections.

In some applications, the corrected bit 88 may need to have a greater level of precision of adjustment than the weighted taps 86 and 87 may provide. FIG. 7 illustrates a block diagram of a distortion correction circuit 160 that may receive four bits of previous data (e.g., n−1 bit data, n−2 bit data, n−3 bit data, and n−4 bit data) to create four weighted taps 86, 162, 164, and 166 to perform a more precise distortion correction to the distorted bit 81. In a similar manner to the distortion correction circuit 80, the distorted bit 81 may be transmitted to the amplifying device 82 via the channel 84. The DQ reference signal 83 may also be transmitted to the amplifying device 82.

From the amplifying device 82, the distorted bit 81 and the DQ reference signal 83 may be transmitted to the DFE 70. Bit data for the previous bits may be transmitted through the paths 72, 74, 76, and 78. The DFE 70 may be operated to correct the distortion from the distorted bit 81 using the four weighted taps 86, 162, 164, and 166 created from the bit data for the four previous bits. The DFE 70 may be operated to generate magnitudes and polarities for each of the weighted taps 86, 162, 164, and 166 for each of the previous bits transmitted along paths 72, 74, 76, and 78 which may be designed to offset the total distortion to the distorted bit 81 caused by the previously received bits.

One or more of a modified version of the distorted bit 81 and a modified version of the DQ reference signal 83 may be transmitted to the data latch 94. The corrected bit 88 may be transmitted to the deserializer 66 on the rising edge of the DQS signal 96 from the data latch 94. The deserializer 66 may be updated with the values for the n−1 bit, n−2 bit, n−3 bit, and the n−4 bit and the values may be stored for transmission along the paths 72, 74, 76, and 78. The distortion correction circuitry associated with the DFE 70 may be described in greater detail below.

FIG. 8 illustrates a circuit diagram of a portion of the DFE 70 of FIG. 7 that may negate distortions. As additionally illustrated in FIG. 8 , the DFE 70 may receive a logical high or low for the n−1 bit, the n−2 bit, the n−3 bit, or the n−4 bit, or any combination therein through the data transmitted on paths 72, 74, 76, and 78. In this case, data transmitted along the paths 72, 74, 76, and 78 may be implemented to generate the weighted taps 86, 162, 164, and 166 and the inverse weighted taps 87, 163, 165, and 167 as control signals for the field effect transistors 116, 118, 182, 184, 186, 188, 190, and 192 to control outputs therefrom transmitted to the outputs 110 and 112. The field effect transistors 116, 118, 182, 184, 186, 188, 190, and 192 may be selectively and controllably activated to reflect one of the sixteen (e.g., 2⁴) different possible binary states represented by the various combinations of previously corrected bits (e.g., 0000, 0001, 0010, . . . , 1111).

The weighted tap 86, 87, 162, 163, 164, 166 and 167 values may be applied to the outputs 110 and 112, whereby the current supplied is controlled through the controllable source 120 and additional controllable sources 194, 196, and 198 (e.g., a current source controlled by a digital to analog converter). The outputs 110 and 112 may be transmitted to the data latch 94. The corrected bit 88 may be generated via the data latch 94 based upon the outputs 110 and 112 and may be transmitted to the deserializer 66 on the rising edge of the DQS signal 96. The n−1 bit, the n−2 bit, the n−3 bit, and the n−4 bit information stored for transmission along the paths 72, 74, 76, and 78 in the deserializer 66 may be updated with the corrected bit 88 (e.g., n−4 bit will update to reflect n−3 data, n−3 bit will update to reflect n−2 data, n−2 data will update to reflect n−1 data, and n−1 data will update with the newly corrected bit) for future distortion corrections.

FIG. 9 illustrates the distortion correction circuit 200 which may be capable of receiving and processing four data bits in a rolling manner. For example, the distortion correction circuit 200 may include four distortion correction circuits 202, 204, 206, and 208, which are each similar to the DFE 70 described in FIG. 7 . The distortion correction circuits 202, 204, 206, and 208 include summers 210, 212, 214, and 216, respectively, that may operate as described in FIG. 8 with respect to summer circuit 85. The four distortion circuits 202, 204, 206, and 208 are referred to as the first circuit 202, the second circuit 204, the third circuit 206, and the fourth circuit 208. One embodiment for implementing rolling distortion correction utilizing the distortion correction circuit 200 is described below.

A distorted bit stream may be received at the amplifying device 82. A first distorted bit 81 of the bit stream may be received by the first circuit 202 (e.g., after having been amplified by amplifying device 82), the second distorted bit 218 of the bit stream may be received by the second circuit 204, the third distorted bit 220 of the bit stream may be received by the third circuit 206, a fourth distorted bit 222 of the bit stream may be received by the fourth circuit 208, and a fifth distorted bit may be rolled back to be received by the first circuit once the first iteration of the distortion correction of distorted bit 81 has been completed.

To elaborate further, the first circuit 202 may receive the distorted bit 81 from the amplifying device 82 and may begin to process it using the method described above with respect the distortion correction circuit 160, e.g., using the previous bit or weighted tap data transmitted along the paths 72, 74, 76, and 78 to calculate the value necessary with the summer circuit 210. A voltage correction signal 224 (e.g., an amplified DQ reference signal 83) may also be transmitted to the first circuit 202 and utilized in the correction of the distorted bit 81. Corrected bit 88 of the data latch 226 may be transmitted on the rising edge of the DQS signal 96 as a DFE adjusted bit from output 234.

The inputs used for the determination of the corrected bit transmitted from output 236 for the second circuit 204 may be different from the inputs for the first circuit 202. The second circuit 204 may receive a second distorted bit 218 and the voltage correction signal 224 and began processing the second distorted bit 218, after the distorted bit 81 is received and is being processed via the first circuit 202. The method described with respect to the distortion correction circuit 160 may be used to correct the second distorted bit 218 with the summer circuit 212, as the previous bit or weighted tap data transmitted along the paths 72, 74, 76, and 78 may be used to perform a more precise distortion correction to the distorted bit 218 via the circuitry described in FIG. 8 . The DFE adjusted (e.g., corrected bit) of the data latch 228 may be transmitted on the rising edge of the DQS signal 96 from output 236.

The inputs used for the determination of the corrected bit transmitted from output 238 for the third circuit 206 may be different from the inputs for the second circuit 204. The third circuit 206 may receive a third distorted bit 220 and the voltage correction signal 224 and began processing the third distorted bit 220, after the second distorted bit 218 is received and is being processed via the second circuit 204. The method described with respect to the distortion correction circuit 160 may be used to correct the third distorted bit 220 with the summer circuit 214, as the previous bit or weighted tap data transmitted along the paths 72, 74, 76, and 78 may be used to perform a more precise distortion correction to the distorted bit 220 via the circuitry described in FIG. 8 . The DFE adjusted (e.g., corrected bit) of the data latch 230 may be transmitted on the rising edge of the DQS signal 96 from output 238.

The inputs used for the determination of the corrected bit transmitted from output 240 for the fourth circuit 208 may be different from the inputs for the third circuit 206. The fourth circuit 208 may receive a fourth distorted bit 222 and the voltage correction signal 224 and began processing the fourth distorted bit 222, after the third distorted bit 220 is received and is being processed via the third circuit 206. The method described with respect to the distortion correction circuit 160 may be used to correct the fourth distorted bit 222 with the summer circuit 216, as the previous bit or weighted tap data transmitted along the paths 72, 74, 76, and 78 may be used to perform a more precise distortion correction to the distorted bit 222 via the circuitry described in FIG. 8 . The DFE adjusted (e.g., corrected bit) of the data latch 232 may be transmitted on the rising edge of the DQS signal 96 from output 240.

The outputs 234, 236, 238, and 240 from the first, second, third and fourth circuits 202, 204, 206, and 208 may be sent to the deserializer 66 at the conclusion of each final decision generating the respective corrected bits from the first, second, third and fourth circuits 202, 204, 206, and 208. In the deserializer 66, the n−1 bit, the n−2 bit, the n−3 bit, and the n−4 bit may be used to update the data stored in the deserializer 66 for transmission along the paths 72-78 in accordance with the corrected bit data (e.g., the corrected bit from the first circuit 202 will be stored for transmission along the path 78, the corrected bit data from the second circuit 204 will be stored for transmission along the path 76, the corrected bit data from the third circuit 206 will be stored for transmission along the path 74, and the corrected bit data from the fourth circuit 208 will be stored for transmission along the path 72). It may be noted that the corrected bit may not have completed transmission to the deserializer 66, nor updated values stored for transmission along the paths 72-78 prior to the reception of the fifth distorted bit, thus the method of delaying the final determination of the corrected bits may be continued.

FIG. 10 illustrates a block diagram of a distortion correction circuit 242 that may receive four bits of previous data (e.g., n−1 bit data, n−2 bit data, n−3 bit data, and n−4 bit data) to create four weighted taps 86, 162, 164, and 166 to perform a more precise distortion correction to the distorted bit 81. In a similar manner to the distortion correction circuit 160, the distorted bit 81 may be transmitted via the channel 84. However, as illustrated, the amplifying device 82 of FIG. 7 may be eliminated in connection with the distortion correction circuit 242 of FIG. 10 . Elimination of this amplifying device 82 may allow, for example, increased bandwidth transmission of a bit stream that includes the distorted bit 81 in the DQ receiver 62 by elimination of the amplifying device that may otherwise slow reception of the bit stream that includes the distorted bit 81.

Instead, the distorted bit 81 and the DQ reference signal 83 may be transmitted to the DFE 244 at inputs 250 and 252, respectively. Bit data for the previous bits may be transmitted through the paths 72, 74, 76, and 78. The DFE 244 may be operated to correct the distortion from the distorted bit 81 using the four weighted taps 86, 162, 164, and 166 created from the bit data for the four previous bits. The DFE 244 may be operated to generate magnitudes and polarities for each of the weighted taps 86, 162, 164, and 166 for each of the previous bits transmitted along paths 72, 74, 76, and 78 which may be designed to offset the total distortion to the distorted bit 81 caused by the previously received bits.

One or more of a modified version of the distorted bit 81 and a modified version of the DQ reference signal 83 may be transmitted to a data latch portion of the DFE 244. The corrected bit 88 may be transmitted to the deserializer 66 on the rising edge of the DQS signal 96 from the data latch portion of the DFE 244. The deserializer 66 may be updated with the values for the n−1 bit, n−2 bit, n−3 bit, and the n−4 bit and the values may be stored for transmission along the paths 72, 74, 76, and 78. The distortion correction circuitry associated with the DFE 244 may be described in greater detail below.

FIG. 11 illustrates a circuit diagram of the equalizer or DFE 244 (e.g., regenerative latch circuitry and DFE circuitry such as summer circuitry combined or integrated into one device) of FIG. 10 that may negate distortions. It should be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art that additional stages result in reduced bandwidth.

In a first portion 260 (e.g., a first portion of a regenerative comparator or a regenerative latch), data bits may be received at a first input 102 and a second input 104 to the equalizer 244. The first input 102 and the second input 104 may be communicatively coupled to a device that may be enabled or disabled (e.g., field effect transistors 106 and 108). The distorted bit 81 may be received at the first input 102 and the DQ reference signal 83 may be received at the second input 104. In this manner, two of the field effect transistors 106 and 108 may be controlled by the distorted bit 81 and the DQ reference signal 83. Data outputs 262 and 264 from field effect transistors 106 and 108 are sent to the second portion 266 based on the DQS signal 96 as a clock signal of the first portion 260 that operates to track the input voltages applied at input 202 and input 104 as the DQS signal, for example, transitions high.

The second portion 266 of the circuit diagram of the equalizer 244 generally applies weighted tap values to the outputs from the first portion 260 and, accordingly, operates generally as a summer circuit (e.g., a summing amplifier). As described for the DFE 70 illustrated in FIG. 8 , the DFE 244 may receive a logical high or low for the n−1 bit, the n−2 bit, the n−3 bit, or the n−4 bit, or any combination therein through the data transmitted on paths 72, 74, 76, and 78. Data transmitted along the paths 72, 74, 76, and 78 may be implemented to generate the weighted taps 86, 162, 164, and 166 and the inverse weighted taps 87, 163, 165, and 167 as control signals for the field effect transistors 116, 118, 182, 184, 186, 188, 190, and 192 to control outputs therefrom transmitted to the outputs 272 and 274. The field effect transistors 116, 118, 182, 184, 186, 188, 190, and 192 may be selectively and controllably activated to reflect one of the sixteen (e.g., 2⁴) different possible binary states represented by the various combinations of previously corrected bits (e.g., 0000, 0001, 0010, . . . , 1111).

The weighted tap 86, 87, 162, 163, 164, 166 and 167 values may be applied to the outputs 110 and 112, whereby the current supplied is controlled through the controllable source 120 and additional controllable sources 194, 196, and 198 (e.g., a current source controlled by a digital to analog converter). The outputs 272 and 274 may be transmitted to the third portion 268 (e.g., a second portion of a regenerative comparator or a regenerative latch). In the third portion 268, a feedback may be applied, for example, as the DQS signal as goes low, to be output from the third portion 268, for example, as the DQS signal 96 goes high again. The corrected bit 88 may be generated via the equalizer 244 based upon the outputs 110 and 112 and may be transmitted to the deserializer 66 on the rising edge of the DQS signal 96. In this manner, the first portion 260 and the third portion 268 operate as a regenerative latch in a manner similar to the data latch 94 with the second portion 266 operating as a summer circuit that operates in a manner similar to summer circuit 85 to generate the corrected bit 88. The n−1 bit, the n−2 bit, the n−3 bit, and the n−4 bit information stored for transmission along the paths 72, 74, 76, and 78 in the deserializer 66 may be updated with the corrected bit 88 (e.g., n−4 bit will update to reflect n−3 data, n−3 bit will update to reflect n−2 data, n−2 data will update to reflect n−1 data, and n−1 data will update with the newly corrected bit) for future distortion corrections.

One solution to delays in processing that may occur with respect to the distortion correction circuit 242 may include calculating the distortion contribution of the n−2 bit, the n−3 bit, and the n−4 bit using both possibilities of values of the n−1 bit (e.g., logical high and logical low) and discarding the calculated value that utilized the incorrect value of the n−1 bit when that value is determined. FIG. 12 illustrates a distortion correction circuit 280 which may implement this solution.

FIG. 12 illustrates a block diagram of the distortion correction circuit 280 which may implement an efficient solution for handling data transmitted faster than otherwise may be processed. Additionally, the distortion correction circuit 280 may be utilized separate from the inclusion of any amplifying device 82. The distortion correction circuit 280 includes a first equalizer 282 and a second equalizer 284, each of which may operate generally as described above with respect to DFE 244, as well as a selection device 286 (e.g., a multiplexer). The distorted bit 81 may be transmitted to the input 250 of the first equalizer 282 as well as to the input 250 of the second equalizer 284.

The input 252 of the first equalizer 282 also receives a voltage correction signal 292 and the input 252 of the second equalizer receives a voltage correction signal 294. The voltage correction signal 292, transmitted to the equalizer 282, may be different than the voltage correction signal 294, transmitted to the equalizer 284. The equalizer 282 may receive the voltage correction signal 292 as the DQ reference signal 83 as modified by an amount of adjustment related to the most recently received bit n−1 corresponding to a logical high. Similarly, the equalizer 284 may receive the voltage correction signal 294 as the DQ reference signal 83 as modified by an amount of adjustment related to the most recently received bit n−1 corresponding to a logical low.

The equalizers 282 and 284 may correct the distortion associated with the distorted bit 81, using the three inputs using the previous bit or weighted tap data transmitted along the paths 74, 76, and 78 to calculate the value necessary with the equalizer. This may be done in such a way that the output 296 from the equalizer 282 represents the corrected bit 88 with the n−1 bit as a logical high while the output 298 from the equalizer 284 represents the corrected bit 88 if the n−1 bit is a logical low. Thus, each of the equalizer 282 and the equalizer 284 may operate in a manner similar to the portion of the equalizer 244 of FIG. 10 with one difference; only three paths that may negate distortions are utilized (e.g., corresponding to bits n−2, n−3, and n−4) with their respective weighted taps and current supplied via three respective controllable sources.

Once outputs 296 and 298 are transmitted to the selection device 286, enough time will have passed for the n−1 bit to have been determined, stored, and transmitted from the deserializer 66, such that the selection device 286 can receive the value transmitted along path 72 as a selection control signal (e.g., a multiplexer selection or control signal). The n−1 bit value transmitted along the path 72 may be used to select the corrected bit from the outputs 296 and 298. If the n−1 bit is logical high, the output 296 may be selected as being the corrected bit 88. However, if the n−1 bit is logical low, the output 298 may be selected as being the corrected bit 88. The output from the selection device 286 may be sent to the deserializer 66 as the corrected bit 88. In the deserializer 66, the n−1 bit, the n−2 bit, the n−3 bit, and the n−4 bit may be updated in accordance with the corrected bit 88 (e.g., n−4 bit will update to reflect n−3 data, n−3 bit will update to reflect n−2 data, n−2 data will update to reflect n−1 data, and n−1 data will update with the newly corrected bit 88). It may be noted that the corrected bit 88 may not complete transmission and updating of all values prior to the reception of the second distorted bit 218, thus the method as described above utilizing dual calculations of the corrected bit value based upon contributions from the n−1 bit being both logically high and logically low may be repeated.

FIG. 13 illustrates the distortion correction circuit 300 which may be capable of processing four data bits at a four bit distortion correction level, and includes the distortion correction circuit 280, a second circuit 302, a third circuit 304, and a fourth circuit 306, which may be distortion correction circuits similar to the distortion correction circuit 280 with modification to their respective inputs. Distorted bit 81 may be received by the first circuit 280, a second distorted bit 218 may be received by the second circuit 302, a third distorted bit 220 may be received by the third circuit 304, a fourth distorted bit 222 may be received by the fourth circuit 306, and a fifth distorted bit may be rolled back to be received by the first circuit 280 once the first iteration of the distortion correction is complete.

To elaborate further, the first circuit 280 may receive the distorted bit 81 and may begin to process it using the method described with the distortion correction circuit 280, using the previous bit or weighted tap data transmitted along the paths 74, 76, and 78 to calculate the values necessary to supply the equalizers 282 and 284. The voltage correction signals 292 and 294 may represent a modified DQ reference signal 83 having been adjusted for the contribution of a bit value for n−1 being logically high and low, respectively, and may be utilized in the correction of the distorted bit 81. Outputs 296 and 298 to the selection device 286 may be transmitted on the rising edge of the DQS signal 96. The selection device 286 may use the n−1 bit value stored in the deserializer 66 and transmitted along path 72 to make the final decision on which value the corrected bit 88 value takes (e.g., that of output 296 or output 298).

The inputs used for the determination of the corrected bit 88 for the second circuit 302 may be different from the inputs for the first circuit 280. The second circuit 302 may receive the second distorted bit 218 and may begin processing of the second distorted bit 218 in parallel with each of the voltage correction signal 308 as the DQ reference signal 83 modified by an amount of adjustment related to the most recently received bit value transmitted along path 78 corresponding to a logical high and the voltage correction signal 310 as the DQ reference signal 83 modified by an amount of adjustment related to the most recently received bit value transmitted along path 78 corresponding to a logical low. The method described with the distortion correction circuit 280 may be used to correct the distorted bit 218, except that the previous bit or weighted tap data transmitted along the paths 72, 74, and 76 may be used to calculate the values necessary to provide a correction to the equalizers 287 and 288. Outputs 312 and 314 to the selection device 316 may be transmitted on the rising edge of the DQS signal 96. The selection device 316 for the second circuit 302 may use the bit value stored in the deserializer 66 for transmission along path 78 to make the final decision on the corrected bit 88 value of the second distorted bit 218.

The inputs used for the determination of the corrected bit 88 for the third circuit 304 may be different from the inputs for the second circuit 302. The third circuit 304 may receive the third distorted bit 220 and may begin processing of the third distorted bit 220 in parallel with each of the voltage correction signal 318 as the DQ reference signal 83 modified by an amount of adjustment related to the most recently received bit value transmitted along path 76 corresponding to a logical high and the voltage correction signal 320 as the DQ reference signal 83 modified by an amount of adjustment related to the most recently received bit value transmitted along path 76 corresponding to a logical low. The method described with the distortion correction circuit 280 may be used to correct the distorted bit 220, except that the previous bit or weighted tap data transmitted along the paths 72, 74, and 78 may be used to calculate the values necessary to provide a correction to the equalizers 322 and 324. Outputs 326 and 328 to the selection device 330 may be transmitted on the rising edge of the DQS signal 96. The selection device 330 for the third circuit 304 may use the bit value stored in the deserializer 66 for transmission along path 76 to make the final decision on the corrected bit 88 value of the third distorted bit 220.

The inputs used for the determination of the corrected bit 88 for the fourth circuit 306 may be different from the inputs for the third circuit 304. The fourth circuit 306 may receive the fourth distorted bit 222 and may begin processing of the fourth distorted bit 222 in parallel with each of the voltage correction signal 331 as the DQ reference signal 83 modified by an amount of adjustment related to the most recently received bit value transmitted along path 74 corresponding to a logical high and the voltage correction signal 332 as the DQ reference signal 83 modified by an amount of adjustment related to the most recently received bit value transmitted along path 74 corresponding to a logical low. The method described with the distortion correction circuit 280 may be used to correct the distorted bit 222, except that the previous bit or weighted tap data transmitted along the paths 72, 76, and 78 may be used to calculate the values necessary to provide a correction to the equalizers 334 and 336. Outputs 338 and 340 to the selection device 342 may be transmitted on the rising edge of the DQS signal 96. The selection device 342 for the fourth circuit 306 may use the bit value stored in the deserializer 66 for transmission along path 74 to make the final decision on the corrected bit 88 value of the fourth distorted bit 222.

The output from the selection devices 286, 316, 330, and 342 may be sent to the deserializer 66 at the conclusion of each final decision on the corrected bit 88. In the deserializer 66, the n−1 bit, the n−2 bit, the n−3 bit, and the n−4 bit may be used to update the data stored in the deserializer 66 for transmission along the paths 72-78 in accordance with the corrected bit 88 data. It may be noted that the corrected bit 88 may not have completed transmission to the deserializer 66, nor updated values stored for transmission along the paths 72-78 prior to the reception of the fifth distorted bit, thus the method of delaying the final selection of the corrected bit 88 may be continued. Thus, the first circuit 280 may apply weighted values from the fourth circuit 306 in parallel until the corrected bit 88 is determined from the fourth circuit 306 and used as a selection bit for the first circuit 280. Similarly, the second circuit 302 may apply weighted values from the first circuit 280 in parallel until the corrected bit 88 is determined from the first circuit 280 and is used as a selection bit for the second circuit 302. Likewise, the third circuit 304 may apply weighted values from the second circuit 302 in parallel until the corrected bit 88 is determined from the second circuit 302 and is used as a selection bit for the third circuit 304. The fourth circuit 306 may apply weighted values from the third circuit 304 in parallel until the corrected bit 88 is determined from the third circuit 304 and is used as a selection bit for the fourth circuit 306.

FIG. 14 is a flow diagram to illustrate the correction due to ISI performed by an embodiment of the present invention as illustrated in FIGS. 12 and 13 . In the first step, data is received by the receiver (block 350). As illustrated in the flow diagram, this may be bit n, and the previous bits received are n−1, n−2, n−3, n−4 . . . Bit n is then corrected by n−1, n−2, n−3 (block 352) as bit n−1 may not be deserialized yet. Instead of waiting to correct bit n by bit n−1, the input is corrected by two parallel paths. In one instance, n is corrected assuming n−1 was read as high (block 354), and in the other case n is corrected assuming n−1 was read as low (block 356). At some time after these corrections are applied, the corrected bit n−1 will be received (block 358). Based on the value of bit n−1, the correct bit n is selected from the values of n determined at block 354 and 356. The correct bit selected (block 360) is then sent to a deserializer (block 362).

FIG. 15 illustrates a distortion correction circuit 364 of a basic 2-phase input receiver with a loop-unrolled 1-tap DFE, which may be capable of processing two data bits with one bit received at DQS0, i.e., at the first phase (e.g., the rising edge of the DQS signal 96) and one bit received at DQS180, i.e., at the second phase (e.g., the falling edge of the DQS signal 96). The distortion correction circuit 364 includes a first circuit 366 and a second circuit 368, which may be distortion correction circuits similar to the distortion correction circuit 280 with modification to their respective inputs and feedbacks corresponding to the 2-phase inputs and feedbacks. Additionally, the circuits 366 and 368 may be utilized separate from the inclusion of any amplifying device 82. For instance, distorted bit 81 may be received by the first circuit 366 at DQS0, a second distorted bit 218 may be received by the second circuit 368 at DQS180, and a third distorted bit may be rolled back to be received by the first circuit 366 once the first iteration of the distortion correction is complete.

To elaborate further, the first circuit 366 may receive the distorted bit 81 and may begin to process it using the method described with the distortion correction circuit 280, and an enable signal (i.e., EN) may be used to enable or disable the corresponding equalizer (e.g., equalizer 370 or equalizer 372). The voltage correction signals 374 (i.e., VRHI) and 376 (i.e., VRLO) may represent a modified DQ reference signal 83 having been adjusted for the contribution of a bit value for n−1 being logically high and low, respectively, and may be utilized in the correction of the distorted bit 81. Outputs 378 and 380 from the equalizers 370 and 372, respectively, to the selection device 386 may be transmitted at DQS0 (e.g., the rising edge of the DQS signal 96). Outputs 382 and 384 from the equalizers 370 and 372, respectively, to the selection device 388 may be transmitted at DQS0 (e.g., the rising edge of the DQS signal 96). The selection devices 386 and 388 may use the n−1 bit value (e.g., the value of the bit received at the second phase) generated by the second circuit 368 and transmitted along path 390 to make the final decision on which value the corrected bit 88 value takes (e.g., that of output 378 or output 380 for the selection device 386, or that of output 382 or 384 for the selection device 388). A selection device 392 may utilize the outputs from the selection devices 386 and 388 to generate a signal 394 for the second circuit 368 based on a polarity of a tap 1 bias sign bit, which is the polarity of a tap 1 bias that may be programmed and input into a mode register. For instance, the mode register may be programmed for tap 1 to correct for a +50 mV bias, which indicates a positive sign for the tap 1 bias (i.e., tap 1 bias sign bit is “+”) and the selection device 392 may use the output of the selection device 386. In some embodiments, the mode register may be programmed for a −50 mV bias, which indicates a negative sign for the tap 1 bias (i.e., tap 1 bias sign bit is “−”) and the selection device 392 may use output of the selection device 388.

Similarly, the second circuit 368 may receive the distorted bit 81 and may begin to process it using the method described with the distortion correction circuit 366, and the enable signal (i.e., EN) may be used to enable or disable the corresponding equalizer (e.g., equalizer 396 or equalizer 398). The voltage correction signals 400 (i.e., VRHI) and 402 (i.e., VRLO) may represent a modified DQ reference signal 83 having been adjusted for the contribution of a bit value for n−1 being logically high and low, respectively, and may be utilized in the correction of the distorted bit 81. Outputs 404 and 406 from the equalizers 396 and 398 to the selection device 412 may be transmitted at DQS180 (e.g., the falling edge of the DQS signal 96). Outputs 408 and 410 from the equalizers 396 and 398 to the selection device 414 may be transmitted at DQS180 (e.g., the falling edge of the DQS signal 96). The selection devices 412 and 414 may use the n−1 bit value (e.g., the value of the bit received at the first phase) generated by the first circuit 366 and transmitted along path 394 to make the final decision on which value the corrected bit 88 value takes (e.g., that of output 404 or output 406 for the selection device 412, or that of output 408 or 410 for the selection device 414). A selection device 416 may utilize the outputs from the selection devices 412 and 414 to generate the signal 390 for the first circuit 366 based on the polarity of the tap 1 bias sign bit, which is the polarity of a tap 1 bias that may be programmed and input into a mode register. For instance, the mode register may be programmed for tap 1 to correct for a +50 mV bias, which indicates a positive sign for the tap 1 bias (i.e., tap 1 bias sign bit is “+”) and the selection device 416 may select the output of the selection device 412. In some embodiments, the mode register may be programmed for a −50 mV bias, which indicates a negative sign for the tap 1 bias (i.e., tap 1 bias sign bit is “−”) and the selection device 416 may select output of the selection device 414.

Hybrid Loop Unrolled Dfe Architecture

In some embodiments, the DFE (decision feedback equalization) technique in a hybrid loop unrolled DFE circuit may not be used, which may be useful for low-speed modes, various DIMM architectures, and the like. For example, in this hybrid loop unrolled DFE architecture, only one of the two laches of a distortion correction circuit (e.g., the distortion correction circuit 280) may be used. That is, only those equalizers corresponding to one possibility of the values of the previous bit (e.g., logical high or logical low) may be used in the hybrid loop unrolled DFE circuit. Those equalizers corresponding to the other possibilities of the values of the previous bit may be disabled in the hybrid loop unrolled DFE circuit when the DFE technique is not used (e.g., if logical high is used then logical low may be disabled, and if logical low is used then logical high may be disabled). As such, the hybrid loop unrolled DFE architecture may save power when the DFE technique is not used as only a portion of the total equalizers in the hybrid loop unrolled DFE circuit may be used. FIG. 16 illustrates a hybrid loop unrolled DFE architecture for the distortion correction circuit 280 which may implement this solution.

FIG. 16 illustrates a block diagram of a hybrid loop unrolled DFE architecture for the distortion correction circuit 280, i.e., a hybrid loop unrolled DFE circuit 281, which may implement an efficient solution for disabling one of the two laches (i.e., the equalizer 282 or 284) for power saving purpose when DFE is not used. In FIG. 16 , when no DFE is used, the voltage correction signal 292 transmitted to the equalizer 282, may be the same as the voltage correction signal 294 transmitted to the equalizer 284. The output 296 from the equalizer 282 represents the corrected bit 88 with the n−1 bit as a logical high, and an ENHI signal may be used to enable/disable the equalizer 282. The output 298 from the equalizer 284 represents the corrected bit 88 with the n−1 bit as a logical low, and an ENLO signal may be used to enable/disable the equalizer 284.

In some embodiments, DFE may be enabled or disabled based on a value of a disable (DisF) signal. When the DisF signal has a high value, DFE may be enabled, and both equalizers (i.e., equalizer 282 and equalizer 284) in the hybrid loop unrolled DFE circuit 281 may be enabled. When DisF has a low value, DFE may be disabled, and one of the two equalizers in the hybrid loop unrolled DFE circuit 281 (i.e., equalizer 282 or equalizer 284) may be selected to be disabled.

In some embodiments, when DFE is disabled, those equalizers that represent the corrected bit 88 with the n−1 bit as a logical high may be enabled (e.g., equalizer 282 in the hybrid loop unrolled DFE circuit 281), and the DisF signal may be applied to ENLO. Accordingly, the equalizer 284 may be disabled and the equalizer 282 may be used in the hybrid loop unrolled DFE architecture for the hybrid loop unrolled DFE circuit 281. In the embodiments described above, the ENHI signal may be calculated based on a logical conjunction of an EN signal and the external VDD, and the ENLO signal may be calculated based on a logical conjunction of the EN signal and the DisF signal. In some embodiments, the equalizers 284 and its associated circuits may be disabled by disconnecting the equalizers 284 and its associated circuits from a power source (e.g., a voltage source).

In some embodiments, when DFE is disabled, those equalizers that represent the corrected bit 88 with the n−1 bit as a logical low may be enabled (e.g., equalizer 284 in the hybrid loop unrolled DFE circuit 281), and the DisF signal may be applied to ENHI. In the embodiments described above, the ENLO signal may be calculated based on the logical conjunction of the EN signal and the external VDD, and the ENHI signal may be calculated based on the logical conjunction of the EN signal and the DisF signal. Accordingly, the equalizer 282 may be disabled and the equalizer 284 may be used in the hybrid loop unrolled DFE architecture for the hybrid loop unrolled DFE circuit 281. In some embodiments, the equalizers 282 and its associated circuits may be disabled by disconnecting the equalizers 282 and its associated circuits from a power source (e.g., a voltage source).

In some embodiments, when the DisF signal has a high value, DFE may be enabled, and the data signal (e.g., logical 1 or logical 0) for an n−1 bit may be transmitted through the path 72. When DisF has a low value, DFE may be disabled and the data signal (e.g., logical 1 or logical 0) for an n−1 bit may be float, and a keeper signal 418 from a keeper device 420 may be transmitted along path 72 as a selection control signal (e.g., a multiplexer selection or control signal) to the selection device 286, such that the output from the selection device 286 may be selected from the output signal 296 and the output signal 298, according to the keeper signal 418. In these embodiments, when DFE is disabled, the DisF signal is transmitted to the keeper device 420, and the keeper device 420 may output the keeper signal 418 based on the DisF signal (e.g., the keeper signal 418 may be a logical high signal, a logical low signal, or may be float based on a value of the DisF signal). In one embodiment, the keeper device 420 may include a transistor configured to receive the DisF signal at its gate. In the embodiment described above, when the DisF has a high value, the transistor is arranged so that the keeper signal 418 may be float.

In some embodiments, when DFE is disabled, those equalizers that represent the corrected bit 88 with the n−1 bit as a logical high may be enabled (e.g., equalizer 282 in the hybrid loop unrolled DFE circuit 281), the keeper signal 418 may provide a logical high signal to the selection device 286. Accordingly, the output 296 from the equalizer 282 may be selected as being the corrected bit 88. In the embodiment described above, when the DisF has a low value and the keeper signal 418 is a logical high signal, the keeper device 420 may be arranged with its associated circuit (e.g., an additional signal indicating that those equalizers representing the corrected bit 88 with the n−1 bit as a logical high may be used) to output the feedback high.

In some embodiments, when DFE is disabled, those equalizers that represent the corrected bit 88 with the n−1 bit as a logical low may be used (e.g., equalizer 284 in the hybrid loop unrolled DFE circuit 281), the keeper signal 418 may provide a logical low signal, and the output 298 from the equalizer 284 may be selected as being the corrected bit 88. In the embodiment described above, when the DisF has a low value and the keeper signal 418 is a logical low signal, the keeper device 420 may be arranged with its associated circuit (e.g., an additional signal indicating that those equalizers representing the corrected bit 88 with the n−1 bit as a logical low may be used) to output the feedback low.

FIG. 17 illustrates an embodiment of a hybrid loop unrolled DFE architecture for the distortion correction circuit 364 (i.e., a basic 2-phase input receiver with a loop-unrolled 1-tap DFE), i.e., a hybrid loop unrolled DFE circuit 365, which may implement an efficient solution for disabling one of the two laches for each circuit (i.e., the equalizer 370 or 372 for the first circuit 366, the equalizer 396 or 398 for the second circuit 368) for power saving purposes when DFE is not used. The hybrid loop unrolled DFE circuit 365 includes the first circuit 366 and the second circuit 368, which may be distortion correction circuits similar to the distortion correction circuit 280 with modification to their respective inputs and feedbacks corresponding to the 2-phase inputs and feedbacks. Accordingly, the first circuit 366 and the second circuit 368 in the hybrid loop unrolled DFE circuit 365 may work in a similar manner to the hybrid loop unrolled DFE circuit 281.

To elaborate further, in FIG. 17 , when no DFE is used, the voltage correction signal 374 transmitted to the equalizer 370 may be the same as the voltage correction signal 376 transmitted to the equalizer 372. For the same reason, the voltage correction signal 400 transmitted to the equalizer 396 may be the same as the voltage correction signal 402 transmitted to the equalizer 398. An ENHI signal may be used to enable/disable the equalizers 370 and 396, and an ENLO signal may be used to enable/disable the equalizers 372 and 398. In some embodiments, DFE may be enabled or disabled based on a value of the DisF signal. When the DisF signal has a high value, DFE may be enabled, and all equalizers (i.e., equalizers 370, 372, 396, and 398) in the hybrid loop unrolled DFE circuit 365 may be enabled. When the DisF signal has a low value, DFE may be disabled, and one of the two equalizers (i.e., equalizer 370 or 372 in the first circuit 366, or equalizer 396 or 398 in the second circuit 368) in each circuit (e.g., first circuit 366 or second circuit 368) of the hybrid loop unrolled DFE circuit 365 may be selected to be disabled.

In some embodiments, when DFE is disabled, those equalizers that represent the corrected bit 88 with the n−1 bit as a logical high may be enabled (e.g., equalizer 370 in the first circuit 366 and equalizer 396 in the second circuit 368), and the DisF signal may be applied to ENLO. In these embodiments, the ENHI signal may be calculated based on a logical conjunction of the EN signal and the external VDD, and the ENLO signal may be calculated based on a logical conjunction of the EN signal and the DisF signal. Accordingly, the equalizers 372 and 398 may be disabled, and the equalizers 370 and 396 may be enabled in the hybrid loop unrolled DFE circuit 365. In some embodiments, the equalizers 372 and its associated circuits may be disabled by disconnecting the equalizers 372 and its associated circuits from a power source (e.g., a voltage source). In some embodiments, the equalizers 398 and its associated circuits may be disabled by disconnecting the equalizers 398 and its associated circuits from a power source (e.g., a voltage source).

In some embodiments, when DFE is disabled, those equalizers that represent the corrected bit 88 with the n−1 bit as a logical low may be enabled (e.g., equalizer 372 in the first circuit 366 and equalizer 398 in the second circuit 368), and DisF may be applied to ENHI. In the embodiments described above, the ENLO signal may be calculated based on the logical conjunction of the EN signal and the external VDD, and the ENHI signal may be calculated based on the logical conjunction of the EN signal and the DisF signal. Accordingly, the equalizers 370 and 396 may be disabled and the equalizers 372 and 398 may be used in the hybrid loop unrolled DFE architecture for the hybrid loop unrolled DFE circuit 365. In some embodiments, the equalizers 370 and its associated circuits may be disabled by disconnecting the equalizers 370 and its associated circuits from a power source (e.g., a voltage source). In some embodiments, the equalizers 396 and its associated circuits may be disabled by disconnecting the equalizers 396 and its associated circuits from a power source (e.g., a voltage source).

In some embodiments, when the DisF signal has a high value, DFE may be enabled, and the n−1 bit value (e.g., the value of the bit received at the second phase) generated by the selection device 416 in the second circuit 368 may be transmitted along path 390 to the selection devices 386 and 388. When the DisF signal has a low value, DFE may be disabled and the n−1 bit value (e.g., the value of the bit received at the second phase) generated by the selection device 416 in the second circuit 368 may be configured to be float, and a keeper signal 422 from a keeper device 424 may be transmitted along the path 390 as a selection control signal (e.g., a multiplexer selection or control signal) to the selection devices 386 and 388, such that the output from the selection devices 386 and 388 may be selected according to the keeper signal 422. In these embodiments, when DFE is disabled, the DisF signal is transmitted to the keeper device 424, and the keeper device 424 may output the keeper signal 422 based on the DisF signal (e.g., the keeper signal 422 may be a logical high signal, a logical low signal, or may be float based on a value of the DisF signal). In one embodiment, the keeper device 424 may include a transistor configured to receive the DisF signal at its gate. In the embodiment described above, when the DisF has a high value, the transistor is arranged so that the keeper signal 422 may be float.

In some embodiments, when DFE is disabled, those equalizers that represent the corrected bit 88 with the n−1 bit as a logical high may be enabled (e.g., equalizers 370 and 396 in the hybrid loop unrolled DFE circuit 365), the keeper signal 422 may provide a logical high signal to the selection devices 386 and 388, accordingly, the outputs 378 and 382 from the equalizer 370 may be selected as being the corrected bit 88 for the selection devices 386 and 388, respectively. In the embodiment described above, when the DisF signal has a low value and the keeper signal 422 is a logical high signal, the keeper device 424 may be arranged with its associated circuit (e.g., an additional signal indicating that those equalizers representing the corrected bit 88 with the n−1 bit as a logical high may be used) to output the feedback high.

In some embodiments, when DFE is disabled, those equalizers that represent the corrected bit 88 with the n−1 bit as a logical low may be enabled (e.g., equalizers 372 and 398 in the hybrid loop unrolled DFE circuit 365), the keeper signal 422 may provide a logical low signal to the selection devices 386 and 388, accordingly, the outputs 380 and 384 from the equalizer 372 may be selected as being the corrected bit 88 for the selection devices 386 and 388, respectively. In the embodiment described above, when the DisF signal has a low value and the keeper signal 422 is a logical low signal, the keeper device 424 may be arranged with its associated circuit (e.g., an additional signal indicating that those equalizers representing the corrected bit 88 with the n−1 bit as a logical high may be used) to output the feedback low.

In some embodiments, when the DisF signal has a high value, DFE may be enabled, and the n−1 bit value (e.g., the value of the bit received at the second phase) generated by the selection device 392 in the second circuit 368 may be transmitted along path 394 to the selection devices 412 and 414. When the DisF signal has a low value, DFE may be disabled, and the n−1 bit value (e.g., the value of the bit received at the second phase) generated by the selection device 392 in the second circuit 368 may be configured to be float, and a keeper signal 426 from a keeper device 428 may be transmitted along the path 394 as a selection control signal (e.g., a multiplexer selection or control signal) to the selection devices 412 and 414, such that the output from the selection devices 412 and 414 may be selected according to the keeper signal 426. In these embodiments, when DFE is disabled, the DisF signal is transmitted to the keeper device 428, and the keeper device 428 may output the keeper signal 426 based on the DisF signal (e.g., the keeper signal 426 may be a logical high signal, a logical low signal, or may be float based on a value of the DisF signal). In one embodiment, the keeper device 428 may include a transistor configured to receive the DisF signal at its gate. In the embodiment described above, when the DisF has a high value, the transistor is arranged so that the keeper signal 426 may be float.

In some embodiments, when DFE is disabled, those equalizers that represent the corrected bit 88 with the n−1 bit as a logical high may be enabled (e.g., equalizers 370 and 396 in the hybrid loop unrolled DFE circuit 365), the keeper signal 426 may provide a logical high signal to the selection devices 412 and 414, accordingly, the outputs 404 and 408 from the equalizer 396 may be selected as being the corrected bit 88 for the selection devices 412 and 414, respectively. In the embodiment described above, when the DisF has a low value and the keeper signal 426 is a logical high signal, the keeper device 428 may be arranged with its associated circuit (e.g., an additional signal indicating that those equalizers representing the corrected bit 88 with the n−1 bit as a logical high may be used) to output the feedback high.

In some embodiments, when DFE is disabled, those equalizers that represent the corrected bit 88 with the n−1 bit as a logical low may be enabled (e.g., equalizers 372 and 398 in the hybrid loop unrolled DFE circuit 365), the keeper signal 426 may provide a logical low signal to the selection devices 412 and 414, accordingly, the outputs 406 and 410 from the equalizer 398 may be selected as being the corrected bit 88 for the selection devices 412 and 414, respectively. In the embodiment described above, when the DisF has a low value and the keeper signal 426 is a logical low signal, the keeper device 428 may be arranged with its associated circuit (e.g., an additional signal indicating that those equalizers representing the corrected bit 88 with the n−1 bit as a logical high may be used) to output the feedback low.

In some embodiments, the technique and method described in FIG. 16 and FIG. 17 may be used in a hybrid loop-unrolled DFE circuit with multiple-phase inputs (e.g., 2-phase, or 4-phase). In some embodiments, the technique and method described in FIG. 16 and FIG. 17 may be used in a hybrid loop-unrolled DFE circuit for multiple-tap (e.g., n−4, n−3, n−2, and n−1 bit loop unrolled distortion correction circuits). In some embodiments, the technique and method described in FIG. 16 and FIG. 17 may be used in a complex hybrid loop-unrolled DFE circuit, which may include a mixture of loop-unrolled DFE circuits with multiple-phase inputs having different number of phases (e.g., one or more 2-phase loop-unrolled DFE circuits mix with one or more 4-phase loop-unrolled DFE circuits, and the like), a mixture of loop-unrolled DFE circuits for multiple-tap having different taps (e.g., one or more tap-1 loop-unrolled DFE circuits mix with one or more tap-2 loop-unrolled DFE circuits, and the like), and any combination of them.

FIG. 18 is a flow diagram to illustrate the disabling method 430 performed by an embodiment of the present invention as illustrated in FIGS. 16 and 17 . At block 432, a disabling command may be received by the memory device 10. The disabling command may include information related to identifications of distortion correction circuits that may be disabled for the DFE technique (e.g., n−4, n−3, n−2, or n−1 bit loop unrolled distortion correction circuits in a loop unrolled DFE circuit). In some embodiments, the disabling command may include identifications of equalizers in each of the distortion correction circuits that may be disabled for the DFE technique, such as equalizers corresponding to a previous bit data (e.g., n−4, n−3, n−2, or n−1 bit) which was read as logical high or low. As illustrated in the flow diagram FIG. 18 , at block 434, those disabled equalizers may be determined, such as the correction latches assuming n−1 was read as high or the correction latches assuming n−1 was read as low (e.g., equalizer 282 or 284 in the hybrid loop unrolled DFE circuit 281). At block 434 of the FIG. 18 , a disable (DisF) signal is also determined.

At block 436 and block 438 of the FIG. 18 , the ENHI and ENLO signals may be determined based on the disabling command. The ENHI signal may be used to enable/disable those equalizers assuming n−1 was read as high, and the ENLO signal may be used to enable/disable those equalizers assuming n−1 was read as low. For example, in the hybrid loop unrolled DFE circuit 281, the ENHI signal may be used to enable/disable the equalizer 282, and the ENLO signal may be used to enable/disable the equalizer 284. In some embodiments, the ENHI signal may be calculated based on a logical conjunction of the EN signal and the external VDD, and the ENLO signal is calculated based on a logical conjunction of the EN signal and the disable (DisF) signal, accordingly, in these embodiments, the equalizer 284 may be disabled and the equalizer 282 may be used in the hybrid loop unrolled DFE circuit 281. It should be noted that, in some embodiments, the ENLO signal may be calculated based on a logical conjunction of the EN signal and the external VDD, and the ENHI signal may be calculated based on a logical conjunction of the EN signal and the disable (DisF) signal, accordingly, in those embodiments, the equalizer 282 may be disabled and the equalizer 284 may be used in the hybrid loop unrolled DFE circuit 281.

At block 440 of the FIG. 18 , the disable (DisF) signal may be transmitted to a keeper device (e.g., the keeper device 420 in the hybrid loop unrolled DFE circuit 281), and the keeper device may output a keeper signal based on the disable (DisF) signal (e.g., the keeper signal 418 from the keeper device 420 may be a logical high signal, a logical low signal, or may be float based on a value of the disable (DisF) signal).

At block 442 of the FIG. 18 , the keeper signal is transmitted to a selection device, such as the selection device 286 in the hybrid loop unrolled DFE circuit 281. The selection device may receive outputs from equalizers assuming n−1 was read as high (e.g., the output 296 from the equalizer 282) and outputs from equalizers assuming n−1 was read as low (e.g., 298 from the equalizer 284).

At block 444 of the FIG. 18 , an output from the selection device may be selected from outputs generated by those equalizers assuming n−1 was read as high (e.g., the output 296 from the equalizer 282) and outputs generated by those equalizers assuming n−1 was read as low (e.g., 298 from the equalizer) based on the keeper signal.

Accordingly, the technical effects of the present disclosure include a method and system that only enable those equalizers corresponding to a specific possibility of the values of the previous bit (e.g., logical high or logical low) in the hybrid loop unrolled DFE circuit when DFE is not used. Those equalizers corresponding to possibilities other than the specific possibility of the values of the previous bit may be disabled in the hybrid loop unrolled DFE circuit. As such, the hybrid loop unrolled DFE architecture may save power when DFE is not used since only a portion of the total equalizers in the hybrid loop unrolled DFE circuit may be enabled and powered, and other equalizers in the hybrid loop unrolled DFE circuit may be disabled and disconnected from power sources.

While the present disclosure may be susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way of example in the drawings and have been described in detail herein. However, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed. Rather, the present disclosure is intended to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the following appended claims.

The techniques presented and claimed herein are referenced and applied to material objects and concrete examples of a practical nature that demonstrably improve the present technical field and, as such, are not abstract, intangible or purely theoretical. Further, if any claims appended to the end of this specification contain one or more elements designated as “means for [perform]ing [a function] . . . ” or “step for [perform]ing [a function] . . . ”, it is intended that such elements are to be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f). However, for any claims containing elements designated in any other manner, it is intended that such elements are not to be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f). 

1. A device, comprising: a first equalizer configured to generate a first signal for an input signal based on a first value of a previous signal received prior to receiving the input signal; a second equalizer configured to generate a second signal for the input signal based on a second value of the previous signal received prior to receiving the input signal; a selection device configured to receive the first signal and the second signal; and a keeper device configured to generate a keeper signal based on a disabling signal, wherein the disabling signal is configured to disable one of the first equalizer and the second equalizer based on the first value or the second value, and wherein the selection device is configured to selectively output one of the first signal and the second signal in response to receiving the keeper signal from the keeper device.
 2. The device of claim 1, wherein the keeper device comprises a transistor.
 3. The device of claim 1, wherein the first equalizer is configured to: receive a first input signal; receive a first reference signal; receive a first adjustment signal; and generate the first signal based on a first set of data transmitted via the first input signal, the first reference signal, and a clock signal, wherein the first adjustment signal is determined based on the disabling signal.
 4. The device of claim 3, wherein the second equalizer is configured to: receive a second input signal; receive a second reference signal; receive a second adjustment signal; and generate the second signal based on the first set of data transmitted via the second input signal, the second reference signal, and the clock signal, wherein the second adjustment signal is determined based on the disabling signal.
 5. The device of claim 4, wherein the second equalizer is configured to be disabled based on the second adjustment signal.
 6. The device of claim 3, wherein the first equalizer is configured to be disabled based on the first adjustment signal.
 7. The device of claim 6, wherein disabling the first equalizer comprises disconnecting the first equalizer from a power source.
 8. The device of claim 1, wherein the selection device comprises a multiplexer.
 9. The device of claim 1, wherein the selection device is configured to output the first signal to a deserializer based on the keeper signal having a first value.
 10. The device of claim 9, wherein the selection device is configured to output the second signal to the deserializer based on the keeper signal having a second value.
 11. A method, comprising: receiving a disabling command; determining a disabling signal for an equalizer based on the disabling command, wherein the equalizer is configured to generate a signal for an input signal based on a value of a previous signal received by the equalizer prior to receiving the input signal, and wherein the disabling signal is determined based on the value; determining an adjustment signal for the equalizer based on the disabling signal; sending the disabling signal to a keeper device, wherein the keeper device is configured to generate a keeper signal based on the disabling signal; and sending the keeper signal to a selection device, wherein the selection device is configured to receive the signal from the equalizer and selectively output the signal based on the keeper signal.
 12. The method of claim 11, comprising disabling the equalizer based on the adjustment signal.
 13. The method of claim 12, wherein disabling the equalizer comprises disconnecting the equalizer from a power source.
 14. The method of claim 11, wherein the selection device is configured to selectively output the signal from the equalizer based on the keeper signal having a first value.
 15. A circuit, comprising: a first equalizer, configured to generate a first signal for a first input signal received by the circuit, wherein the first signal is generated based on a value of a signal, and wherein the signal is determined for a second input signal received by the circuit prior to receiving the first input signal; a second equalizer, configured to generate a second signal for the second input signal; a first keeper device configured to generate a first keeper signal based on a disabling signal, wherein the circuit is configured to selectively output the second signal as the signal determined for the second input signal in response to the first keeper signal from the first keeper device; and a second keeper device configured to generate a second keeper signal based on the disabling signal, wherein the circuit is configured to selectively output the first signal in response to the second keeper signal from the second keeper device, and wherein the first equalizer is selectively disabled based on the value of the signal.
 16. The circuit of claim 15, comprising a first multiplexer configured to receive the second keeper signal and the first signal, wherein the first multiplexer is configured to selectively output the first signal based on the second keeper signal.
 17. The circuit of claim 15, comprising a second multiplexer configured to receive the first keeper signal and the second signal, wherein the second multiplexer is configured to selectively output the second signal as the signal determined for the second input signal based on the first keeper signal.
 18. The circuit of claim 15, wherein the first equalizer is configured to generate the first signal based on a first clock signal and the second equalizer is configured to generate the second signal based on a second clock signal.
 19. The circuit of claim 15, wherein the first equalizer is configured to be disabled based on the disabling signal.
 20. The circuit of claim 19, wherein disabling the first equalizer comprises disconnecting the first equalizer from a power source.
 21. A device, comprising: a plurality of equalizers configured to receive one or more input signals and generate a plurality of signals based on the one or more input signals, wherein the plurality of equalizers are configured to correct distortion in the one or more input signals using decision feedback equalization by generating the plurality of signals based on one or more previous signals received prior to receiving the one or more input signals; and one or more keeper devices configured to generate respective keeper signals based on a disabling signal, wherein the disabling signal is provided to disable decision feedback equalization of the device based on the one or more previous signals received prior to receiving the one or more input signals.
 22. The device of claim 21, comprising one or more multiplexers configured to receive the plurality of signals generated by the plurality of equalizers and selectively output respective signals based on respective keeper signals received from the one or more keeper devices.
 23. The device of claim 21, wherein at least one of the plurality of equalizers is disabled based on the disabling signal.
 24. The device of claim 23, wherein disabling the at least one of the plurality of equalizers comprises disconnecting the at least one of the plurality of equalizers from a power source. 